The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday announced that seven National Olympic Committees (NOCs) have expressed official interest in hosting the Olympic Winter Games 2026.

In a statement by the IOC, the committee added that there were also other NOCs already considering to host in 2030 and beyond, including the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

This will be the first group benefiting entirely from the Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms, which offer a cost-efficient, transparent and flexible delivery of the Games from candidature through to legacy.

The statement showed that NOCs and cities interested in the 2026 Games are as follows:

Austrian Olympic Committee (Graz)

Canadian Olympic Committee (Calgary)

Italian Olympic Committee (Cortina d’Ampezzo/Milan/Turin)

Japanese Olympic Committee (Sapporo)

Swedish Olympic Committee (Stockholm)

Swiss Olympic Association (Sion)

Turkish Olympic Committee (Erzurum)

“I warmly welcome the NOCs’ and cities’ interest in hosting the Olympic Winter Games. The IOC has turned the page with regard to Olympic candidatures.

“Our goal is not just to have a record number of candidates, but ultimately it is to select the best city to stage the best Olympic Winter Games for the best athletes of the world,” IOC President Thomas Bach reacted in the statement.

These interested cities and NOCs will continue with the new Dialogue Stage.

In this, the IOC provides NOCs with greater support, technical advice, communications assistance and materials to develop the best possible candidature.

The new approach enables cities to create the most feasible, legacy-enhancing Olympic Games possible.

During the Dialogue Stage, the IOC will work together with the cities and NOCs to narrow the field and ultimately produce the best possible host city.

The New Norm will also afford increased flexibility in designing Games that meet the long-term development goals of the city, region and country.

The seven-year preparation journey has been significantly simplified, and hosts will receive more support from the IOC and the wider Olympic Movement.

Legacy is a priority from the very start of the planning through to final delivery and well beyond.

The implementation of the IOC’s reforms will ensure that these elements are incorporated across the board and monitored from the earliest stages of Games planning and organisation.

“It’s no surprise that so many incredible cities have come forward to compete for the Olympic Winter Games in 2026 and 2030,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

“The reforms laid out by Olympic Agenda 2020 created a clean, clear candidature process for Los Angeles, and many cities from around the world will benefit from these reforms as they bid in the coming months.”

The host city for the Olympic Winter Games 2026 will be selected by the IOC Session in September 2019.(NAN)